Raising the Bar Since 1974

Mid-American Elevator started as a maintenance and repair contractor in Chicago in 1974. Over the last 40+ years, the business focus has broadened from standard elevator installation, maintenance and repair to highly custom elevator installation, maintenance and repair, although the company maintains a robust standard elevator installation and maintenance services business.

A Brief History of Our Company

The current president of Mid-American, Rob Bailey, graduated from Northwestern University in 1974 with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Bailey joined Mid-American as a salesman and construction project manager in 1980. In 1985, he and his father, Bob Bailey, executed a leveraged management buyout of Mid-American Elevator Company, Inc. from the previous owners, Paschen Contractors, Inc. Since 1985, Mid-American has shown a steady annual increase in revenue and profits.

In the early 1990s, Mid-American opened an office in Washington, D.C., which is managed by Jack Litchewski. Our Washington office primarily provides elevator and escalator maintenance, repair and installation services to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). That office continues to successfully undertake large projects 25 years later.

In the mid-1990s, the Baileys purchased a sister company to Mid-American Elevator called USA Hoist. USA Hoist provides rack and pinion elevator rentals, repairs, maintenance, modernization and construction and is currently managed by Rob’s son, Robby.

Today, Tomorrow and Beyond

In a significant move, Mid-American has expanded into the New York City market during the last three years, primarily in the transit elevator installation market. We are also opening an office in Seattle in the fourth quarter of 2018 to support a growing transit elevator installation business there.

Rob Bailey recently completed the elevators in the Porsche Design Tower in Miami, which are arguably the largest, most complicated elevators ever built. Rob’s son, Cullen, currently manages the day-to-day operations of Mid-American Elevator.